Community Engagement and Research

Cottler, Rathore, Shenkman

Co-Directors, left to right: Linda B. Cottler, Ph.D., MPH; Mobeen Rathore, M.D.; Elizabeth Shenkman, Ph.D.

The Community Engagement and Research Program (CERP) provides consultation to faculty, students and affiliated health care partners and community organizations on designing and conducting health-focused studies and outreach in community settings.

The goal of the CERP is to promote collaborative relationships with communities to address the health and well-being of community members. Download our program flier for an overview of CERP resources, initiatives and contacts.

Faculty Advisors

CERP faculty advisors have extensive experience in designing and conducting community-based studies and outreach activities in partnership with local communities. We provide a multidisciplinary perspective and our advisors represent the fields of medicine, health education and behavior, health outcomes research, sociology and epidemiology and are from the Colleges of Medicine, Public Health and Health Professions, Dentistry and Nursing. Our faculty advisors provide review and consultation of protocols and recommend potential collaborators in academic and community settings.

Community Advisory Boards and Community Research Associates

The CERP has Community Advisory Boards (CABs) in Jacksonville and Gainesville and is establishing one in Orlando. The CABs are available to provide feedback about community-based projects for faculty, students and CERP health care and community partners. The CERP also has Community Research Associates in Gainesville, Jacksonville, Orlando and Tallahassee to work with faculty and local communities in designing and conducting community-based studies.

Research Networks, Programs & Projects

  • Health IMPACTS for Florida, a UF-FSU Collaboration Integrating Medical Practice and Community-based Translational Science
  • HealthStreet
  • North Florida Pediatric Community Research Network
  • Sentinel Network for Community-Based Participatory Research
  • Collaboration with the Southeast Center on Oral Health Disparities on conducting outreach and disseminating information about head and neck cancer screening
  • Development of healthy neighborhoods in Gainesville, Jacksonville and Orlando based on the national Promise Neighborhood Initiative
  • Gainesville Medical Home Initiative for high-risk families
  • Children’s Health Insurance Program Medical Home Initiative in Partnership with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration and the Department of Health
  • Conducting health risk assessments in community and physician practice settings in Jacksonville, Gainesville and Orlando using novel bioinformatics strategies
  • Addressing therapy for HIV-infected women in Jacksonville
  • Conducting work to support immunizations and to prevent infections in community settings
  • Working with community programs in Jacksonville to address health care needs of older adults who are also minorities

Program Co-Directors

Linda Cottler – lbcottler@ufl.edu; 352-273-5468
Elizabeth Shenkman – eas@ichp.ufl.edu; 352-265-7220
Mobeen Rathore – mobeen.rathore@jax.ufl.edu; 904-244-3739